Summer Sixer

They don’t call us Beer City for nothin’, but until last winter, one neighborhood was distinctly un-beered. “I chose South Asheville since it was an area of town that I felt needed a great bottle shop and bar,” says Matt Vaughan, who opened Craft Centric in December with his wife, Shannon. The bottle shop’s already earned its share of accolades, making Matt the perfect person to pick your new summer beers.

Whether at a backyard barbecue or a party by the pool, Tangerine Wheat from Lost Coast is one of those beers you’ll want in your hand. As a wheat beer it has a crisp finish that you crave in the summertime but it also keeps things interesting with it’s big citrus flavor.

Looking for an easy, breezy beer for plain, old-fashioned drinking? BFD from Sierra Nevada should be your go-to. It’s a unfussy and highly drinkable hoppy blonde ale, crushable straight from the can.

Ipswitch Celia Saison is a very drinkable beer, especially if you’re gluten intolerant! Brewed with sorghum, Celia Saison is a great choice for you all you celiac’s out there, but also holds its zesty orange peel and peppery Belgian flavor appeals to any craft beer lover.

Homeplace Beer Co. in Burnsville, NC brews their beer to have a sense of place and this sessionable IPA is no exception. Feet planted firmly in Western North Carolina, Faith Healer is brewed with Yancey County honey, oat groats, and Riverbend pale malt.

Flashback to being a kid, eating fresh raspberries and blueberries and have the juices running down your chin. Tart Berry from Green Man Brewing is a grown-up version of that. Fruity, tart, and delicious, this beer is perfectly complementary to a warm mountain summer day.

Lo-Fi’s Mexican Lager will be your best friend all summer long. It is simple, refreshing, and will be your greatest wingman at the beach, hiking, swimming, and for the rest of your warm weather activities.